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Bitdefender Total Security vs Fortinet FortiClient comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.5
Businesses achieve 80% ROI with Bitdefender Total Security, benefiting from cost-effective protection and 20% time savings over three years.
Sentiment score
5.7
Fortinet FortiClient improved productivity, enabled better remote work, reduced costs, and enhanced security despite some unused features.
The VPN performance has a substantial impact on our remote workforce.
Technology Consultant at 1ware
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.2
Bitdefender Total Security offers extensive support with responsive service, though faster response times and clearer communication are desired.
Sentiment score
6.7
Fortinet FortiClient's support is praised for responsiveness but criticized for inconsistency and delayed responses compared to competitors.
The technical support is good, with a rating of eight out of ten.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
They initiate the troubleshooting process quickly and resolve issues in a timely manner.
Medical Coder at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
In 99% of cases, we do not have to do configurations on our own as they are normally handled by their service providers.
Director at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
They provide very good support, and an issue I had was resolved quickly over the phone.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Bitdefender Total Security scales well for small businesses, praised for efficiency, easy device addition, and robust protection.
Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiClient is scalable, suitable for small to large enterprises, but reviews on ease of scaling are mixed.
The scalability of Bitdefender Total Security is impressive, and I would rate it a nine out of ten due to its strong capabilities.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
We normally take into consideration while installing the product that it can scale up to approximately 20%, but not more than that.
Director at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Most of our clients are using the free version rather than the paid version due to the high range of maximum users available for the free version.
Senior Technical Manager at Flexaccel
I hope Fortinet will start an insider developer program where professionals can provide feedback on new releases to ensure improvements.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.7
Bitdefender Total Security is praised for its stability and reliability, with users experiencing smooth updates and no major issues.
Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiClient is highly stable, with minor issues mostly network-related, and users frequently rate it nine or ten.
The stability of Bitdefender Total Security is high, and I would rate it at nine out of ten.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Its stability level is excellent.
IT Manager at CNE
I normally get a call within 15-20 minutes after logging a complaint.
Director at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Fortinet FortiClient is a stable product with no glitches or latency issues.
Senior Technical Manager at Flexaccel
 

Room For Improvement

Bitdefender Total Security needs enhancements in stability, resource usage, ransomware flexibility, and better online privacy, support, and VPN options.
Fortinet FortiClient needs improved management, simplicity, features, compatibility, pricing, connectivity, scalability, authentication, and better support across OS.
There is a commercial aspect where having an unlimited VPN would enhance the product.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
VPN is becoming a lot more commonplace and needed, and some competitors are now including it as part of their offering.
MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
FortiClient needs improvement in restricting user information and ensuring more secure customer data to better protect source code and reduce the risk of security breaches.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
There are advanced features like Zero Trust that I currently do not use but could be beneficial for security.
Senior Manager Tech Compliance at Qenta Inc.
Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing.
Medical Coder at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Bitdefender Total Security offers value with moderate pricing, strong features, and flexible license options, despite mixed affordability opinions.
Fortinet FortiClient is cost-effective for basic VPNs, with competitive licensing for advanced features despite recent price increases.
The pricing is considered to be a good value for money.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
FortiClient is a value-for-money product and is not considered expensive compared to similar products on the market.
Global Head of IT Infrastructure at EPL Americas
Justifying the price to clients can be difficult.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
FortiClient is included in a package with the UTM features, so there is no separate cost for it.
Senior Manager Tech Compliance at Qenta Inc.
 

Valuable Features

Bitdefender Total Security offers comprehensive protection and enhancement features, including a VPN, password manager, and centralized management console.
Fortinet FortiClient provides cost-effective, comprehensive security with seamless integration, advanced features, and ease of deployment and management.
It also offers robust protection against next-generation threats like ransomware and phishing.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
It stops the endpoints from being exploited.
MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its high security level.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
We appreciate its VPN capabilities and the features that offer extra security functionalities like antivirus and malware scanning.
Infrastructure Manager at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
I strongly recommend this solution, especially for Fortinet customers who use FortiGate or other Fortinet products, as they can easily integrate these features and exchange information seamlessly.
Technology Consultant at 1ware
 

Categories and Ranking

Bitdefender Total Security
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
17th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiClient
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Compliance (1st), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Bitdefender Total Security is 2.9%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 1.7%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiClient1.7%
Bitdefender Total Security2.9%
Other95.4%
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

Robin Cook - PeerSpot reviewer
MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Protects personal devices effectively and prevents access to fraudulent websites
The only thing that it does not include, which I would like to see in it, is the VPN. If VPN was included in Bitdefender Total Security, that would be a really valuable feature to add to the product. The VPN is handy, but to pay quite a lot more on top is costly. VPN is becoming a lot more commonplace and needed, and some competitors are now including it as part of their offering. I have no intention of moving away from Bitdefender Total Security, but I just think that could be quite a valuable addition to have as part of the product.
KL
Senior Technical Manager at Flexaccel
Remote access has become seamless and secure while deployment remains simple for our users
Performance could be improved today. People are now moving toward SASE, which stands for Secure Access, Secure Edge Solution. Fortinet also has that offering, which would be easier since it operates through the cloud, acting as a first line of defense. When the user connects to the internet, they connect to the cloud first for posture assessment and monitoring before connecting to the outside world. The impact is significant because nowadays people are adopting SASE. During COVID time, many users were trying to connect back to their office, causing the performance or CPU utilization of the firewall to increase tremendously, which slowed down performance. I have not worked with endpoint telemetry in Fortinet FortiClient that could have been helpful for threat mitigation.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
19%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
5%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Bitdefender Total Security?
I found Bitdefender Total Security easy to use. The interface is straightforward, and it runs silently in the background.
What needs improvement with Bitdefender Total Security?
The only thing that it does not include, which I would like to see in it, is the VPN. If VPN was included in Bitdefender Total Security, that would be a really valuable feature to add to the produc...
How does Fortinet FortiClient compare with Open VPN Access Server?
Fortinet FortiClient is a feature-rich solution that is easy to use and deploy without sacrificing safety and security. It has a very fast connection rate and has a built-in VPN. With this solution...
What's the difference between Fortinet's FortiEDR and FortiClient?
I suggest Fortinet’s FortiEDR over FortiClient for several reasons. For starters, FortiEDR guarantees solid protection because it continually scans servers for emerging vulnerabilities, which gives...
 

Also Known As

No data available
FortiClient
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Bitdefender Total Security vs. Fortinet FortiClient and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.